Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Goals for the future: Creating a scholarship

It seems that during the final lecture of every class I take, my professors tell me, "Figure out your goals, write them down, implement a strategy that would be most effective in realizing these goals."

So I figured I might start doing it via the blog that I have been neglecting because school and interning and work consume my life.

As my two readers may already know, I fund my education through a mix of personal loans, scholarships, and a part-time job. And to maximize my earnings, I have to budget heavily as my discretionary income is minimal. Sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice. So much hard work, but it'll all be worth it in the end.

They also say, "Give back." I can't even begin to think how much higher education will cost in the future. And I can't (don't want to) imagine how many students will choose not to attend because they don't think they can afford it. I mean, the numbers are pretty astounding today (I really don't have any statistical facts; I'm just basing this on my own personal experiences) so I can only imagine what they'll be like in 20-30 years.

Anyway, every time I learn I have received a scholarship (God, that makes it sound like I am always receiving them, but that is not the case), I am so grateful. My burdens lighten and I can't help but get excited, eager to write my thank you letter to the committee that selected me as a recipient.

I'm wondering already: Would I want my name attached to this scholarship? Doesn't that sound like an act of self-glorification? Shouldn't the reward be in rewarding? Maybe if I died, I wouldn't mind it being named after me as a memorial, but I just can't imagine that happening if I were alive. It's like volunteer work. Do we do it for the self-satisfaction or do we do it so we can tell others about it? Let's be honest here, it's probably both.

In any case, the few scholarships I have received have been memorial funds, which means I have never been able to meet my benefactors as they have all long passed away. I'd have loved to though. That would be a nice feeling, wouldn't it? I would imagine that meeting the recipient -- and I'm talking to my future self here -- would be the best feeling about the whole thing.

Will future self accomplish this goal? I hope so.

POST.SCRIPT.
Is this an arrogant goal? Am I really just saying that I think/hope I'll be making enough money in the future that I can actually establish a scholarship? Or does my desire to give back far outweigh this arrogance, if it even exists? No, no. That's not it at all. Why did I even bring up this point?

Lastly, goals aren't goals if they aren't time sensitive. So, let's try to have this done by the age of 50. This is plausible as I plan to not have children. YA!

1 comment:

  1. Well, having never received a scholarship (except for that half of a comp sci scholarship I got my freshmen year) I don't think I can imagine that feeling.

    Memorial funds make sense, clearly you the recipient thought of the said person named for the money you've received. What I don't understand are memorial benches... you know those cement blocks in parks dedicated to people.

    You know, should I be thinking about these people as I sit on that bench? idk.

    Pulled 4 all nighters last week. Whooo.

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